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Substance use and misuse in psychiatric wards

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

G. L. Milner*
Affiliation:
Solihull Healthcare NHS Trust Mental Health Services, First Floor, 51 Grove Road, Solihull, West Midlands B91 2AQ
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Abstract

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Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 2000, The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Sir: I was interested to read the overview provided by Williams & Cohen (Psychiatric Bulletin, February 2000, 24, 43-46).

In our hospital, we have found that establishing a close liaison with our local police service to advise us and support us has been helpful in dealing with this issue. I am aware that some units have used ‘sniffer dogs’ on wards to give the message that illicit drugs are illegal, and having an occasional police presence does at least deter dealers from visiting the wards.

The local police have also been helpful in providing drug awareness sessions for our staff and offering advice and support in dealing with difficult problems, taking a non-judgmental approach.

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